Everybody's Waffling

Sometimes, I get caught up.  Either things are going on or I'm thinking too many things or I over think or underthink, and I think that I ought to be telling you something important every day.  And I don't have something important every day.  But then, after the thinking and the stalling and the unsure-ness of it all, I remember something important.

I do what I want.

And sometimes, all I want to do is show you some slightly over-processed phone pictures of my very favorite waffles.  Annnnd that brings us to... now.  I think we're all caught up.

I don't generally take pictures of my food in restaurants, because (a) it feels awkward to me and (b) uhm, hello, eating.  But food at home, well, how are you going to know about things unless I show you pictures that I put through a total of 7 different filters?  How are you going to know exactly what yours should look like, minus the cross-processing and the "twighlight" effect and "Analog 5A" and whatnot?  You're not.  And so, the pictures.

I was thinking this morning, as I ate these delightful waffles this morning for the 387th time, about what I was doing this time last year.  Crying is the answer.  I had a 8 week old baby who, despite fervent prayers and lots of trying, was not magically sleeping 8 hours at night like the books said she would.  At least, not consistently.  And I was eating these waffles because I was concerned about BF-ing her and I heard that oatmeal helps with that, but I loathe actual hot oatmeal, so these were the clear option.  And I was wearing pajama pants all day.  But I did shower regularly.  Win.

A year ago, I had a little lump of a baby who I looked at for hours and who I tickled and bathed and changed and sighed with and rocked and snuggled and who made me cry.  And now, I have a toddler who I chase and reprimand and snuggle and change and bathe and teach and feed and tickle and take swimming.  Still the waffles remain, despite that their reason for being in the first place is no longer a thing.  Truth is, my baby is more fun now, and the waffles have remained consistently delicious.

Right now, I'm eating them with butter and syrup.  Classic, am I right?  But come Good Friday, I'm filling those suckers up with chocolate chips and eating them with a bit of powdered sugar shaken on top, by the fistful.  I've changed this recipe a little as the year has gone on, so I thought I'd include it here, in case I never did include it anywhere before.  The original is found at this website, and I love them long time for introducing these to the world.

Mariah's Overnight Waffles That Are Delicious and Necessary Even if You're Not BF'ing or Wearing Pajama Pants All Day

- 4 C Rolled Oats (I use quick oats if I don't have all night to let them soak)

- 4 C Buttermilk

--- Combine & chill in fridge overnight

- 1/2 C Butter (melted)

- 1/2 C Applesauce

- 2 Eggs (whisked)

- 1 t Vanilla

--- Add to overnight mixture, and mix well

- 1 C Flour (you can use whole wheat, if you're a rockstar like that)

- 2 t Baking Soda

- 2 t Baking Powder

- pinch Salt (we're watching our sodium intake)(I sound like I'm middle-aged)

- 1 t Cinnamon

--- Add all on top, mix it in, and warm up the waffle iron

--- Cook... like a waffle.  I always have trouble with this part.  Just do the waffle thang.  Ya know?

*I've also been known to add in some ground pecans when I'm feeling king of frisky, or even a T of brown sugar or honey, just because I'm a maverick.  These latest ones had the pecan meal and the honey, and *MWAH* delicious.

This makes about 2 doz.  Freeze them on racks in your freezer, then throw them in a gallon ziploc bag and use them like eggos.  Except more delicious, because seriously, have you tasted an eggo lately?  Cardboard, people.  Stale cardboard.  I'm sorry.  Its just, these waffles are SO good.  They just ruin you for all other waffles.  Use the above recipe with caution.

<3 M.

Southern Sunday Dinner

Did you ever notice that its hard to cook for just one person?  Or even for two people, if one of those people wears diapers?  Or if one of those "people" is a dog?  Or if one of those two people is sleeping?  No?  Just me?

I've recently begun getting better at cooking, even if its just RG & I.  I've actually been getting better at lots of stuff, as I've been watching less Netflix and CBS.com shows.  Amazing what un-wasted time will do for a person ;)  But I've also been giving myself more freedom, not making such a far-in-the-future menu.  I've been trying to do more of what makes me come alive, and cooking whatever strikes my fancy appeals more to me than cooking something that I decided 6 days ago was what was going to be cooked.

And now I'm boring myself by talking about menus.  

Here's what I want to tell you: Southern Sunday Dinner is a lost art.  And I have reclaimed it.  Now, since I'm a transplant down here, I'm sure I've missed some things, like fat back (ha!  I typed "back fat".  Nope, not missing that!  Ha!)  and collards and confederate flags potatoes.  But it felt southern to me, and when I served it up at the firehouse, I was complimented as "going all 'Paula Deen' on them".  

I think it was a compliment anyhow.

And now I'm thinking about all of the recent (or not-so-recent, my lack of television watching has me behind on current events) uncomplimentary things people say about Miss Deen, and I'm sad for the butter queen.

Anyhow.

I wanted a southern dinner the other sunday, and I came up with this little setup.  And oh my, people, it was delicious.  Lawd.  I took no pictures, obviously, because I was focused on eating and more eating.  Want to know the 2nd best part (the first being the presence of bacon) about the whole thing?  I cooked it at the fire house.  Which means that I didn't have to clean up!  Its the best arrangement I've ever heard of, except for when I had a wife for 6 weeks, which we'll talk about some other time.

Without further ado, the delicious dinner that I recommend for your Sunday afternoon.  Feast your eyes, then go make them & feast your bellies.  Oh, and get ready to eat that mac & cheese for days, and be happy about it.

The Best Chicken Ever (I subbed greek yogurt in for sour cream, but either way!)

SIDE NOTE: This photo below was also one of the ones to choose from on the recipe's website.  Because who doesn't eat their chicken with a side of trumpet??

 Bacon Mac & Cheese

Use that bacon grease.
Don't be scared.
Oh, and save some for the next recipe, too!
Its called "having the same flavor profile" for your dishes,
not "overkill"
Trust me, I'm a professional.

Lemon & Garlic Green Beans

(via)
I didn't serve mine with the lemon slices, because RG ate them.
And because weren't fancy, just hungry.

You're welcome!

<3 M.

Applesauce and Other Things

I made more applesauce tonight.  Or rather, I will make it, while I sleep.  Like a boss.  Okay, more like a person who owns a crockpot.  I've made quite a bit of applesauce over the last month or so.  So much that for a moment I felt bad for RG, that she's been eating so much applesauce.  Until I remembered that apples are delicious, and until she gets herself some teeth (8 mo. & counting...) applesauce is the only way she's going to get to enjoy delicious apples.  

Conscience: Absolved.

Want to know how to make applesauce?  You buy some apples from the local fruit stand, perhaps even from the $0.49 bin where the less-than-pretty ones are stored.  You peel them & chop them and throw them in a crockpot until its full to the brim.  Then you squeeze the juice of one rejected, degenerate lemon that is sitting on your counter.  Finally, you empty the cinnamon shaker into the mix, provided you're about out of cinnamon - that seems to be the perfect amount.  You put the crockpot on low, set the timer for about 7 hours, and you go to bed.  In the morning, you use an immersion blender (or potato masher, dependent upon your technological preferences in the kitchen) to make the magic happen.  Boom.  Criss-cross, applesauce.

Other things that are going on around here include a quick trip to Minnesota, where we discovered that Bobby's mom, since retiring from animated television, is working for the TSA, doncha know? {True story: watching that intro made me feel weird and 4-years-old again.  Four is a strange age to feel.}  RG also logged another 4 plane rides on our trip, which she handled like a champion.  She loves takeoff, stewardesses, and smiling at strangers so... basically, she had a ball.

Outside of that, its been yogging and snuggles with Riley Girl, enjoying my neighbor's out-of-no-where display of Christmas lights, racking my brain for a perfect Halloween costume for my girl, and chatting my ears off with my husband.  And yes, I mean chatting my ears off, because when we talk, its mostly me listening.  He's quite chatty, my love.  When I stopped him mid-story recently, and told him that I wanted to talk, he protested that we were talking.  No no, I explained, I wanted to do the talking.  At which he protested again, "But you're a much better listener"... oy.

What about you?

<3 M.

Distracted to Tears :: Freezer Meals

Perhaps it's a consequence of waking up 7 times last night.  Perhaps it's the rain and the overcast skies.  Perhaps it's the weight of the growing To Do list.  Perhaps it's the uncertainty that hangs in the air, similar to the smell of smoke that we can't seem to get rid of after using our fireplace last week.

Whatever it's cause, I'm 100% distracted.  Edgy.  And I don't like it.

I know that I need to get my math on for a meeting tomorrow.  I know there's things to prep and freezer meals to make and laundry to do.  I know my dog needs to be walked.  I know all of this.

Yet all I want to do is go back to bed, snuggle up under my flannel sheets, cry a little bit, and sleep the afternoon away.  That's normal, right?  Normal or not, I refuse to do it.  I've got stuff to do, dangit, and I'm going to do.  I won't feel better until I get some of that To Do list whittled down, and that's just the way of it. (Type-A personality, anyone?)

So as a start, I've printed out papers that I need to edit.  See?  That way, I can close up this machine and work on paper and not be distracted by all of the more-fun-and-less-demanding things the interwebs have to offer.

I've also compiled here a list of meals I plan to make & freeze.  So for the remainder of the afternoon, rather than crying into my pillow, I'm going to make a shopping list, shower (that's sure to lift the spirits, right?), shop, eat lunch, and do some cooking & freezing.  Then I'll nap, if I still want to.  Then I'll edit the papers and then hit the hay.  It's not flashy, and it's fairly routine; but hey, it's a Monday.  And if anything gets done today and there are no tears by this evening, I'm putting it in the win category.

(An Ambitious and Probably Unrealistic) List of Meals To Make & Freeze:

• Crock Pot (CP) Fajitas
• CP Honey Garlic Chicken
• Meatballs
• CP Garlic Pesto Chicken
• Taco Meat
• Individual Stromboli
• Waffles
• Scones
• Chicken Pot Pie
• Lasagna

Also, any freezer-meal-making people out there?  Any suggestions?  I've never done this before, but thanks to an over-inflated sense of capability, I'm sure I can do it.  But just in case, any suggestions?  (BTW - we're blaming that attitude on my mom's relentless encouragement.  Thanks, Mom!)

<3 M.

(Not Thanksgiving) Menu Plans

As previously mentioned, I'm not cooking a Thanksgiving dinner this year.  In fact, until a few days ago, I was without any Thanksgiving plans whatsoever.  Now though, I've been rescued from the holiday-less spirit by some friends.  Wanna know what they asked me to bring?  DESSERT.  Yep.  Which means I get to break this no-baked-goods fast on my own terms!  I've got some ideas, too.  They mostly involve some type of fruit, just so I won't have to feel guilty while eating them.  Ideas like:

Orange Muffins From Annie's Eats
I'm thinking they'll be nice & refreshing!

Banana Pudding Poke Cake from Hungry Little Girl
Banana Pudding just might be my Mister's favorite dessert.
I hope he doesn't mind the liberties I've taken with it...
I hope he doesn't take liberties with the dessert, too.

Pumpkin Cheesecake Cookies from Sweet Treats & More
I'm thinking I might go with a plain 'ole cream cheese glaze, too.
Maple, well, it has it's place.
I'm just not convinced that it's on top of these cookies ;)

I'm also thinking some apple slices and warm caramel dip, likely of the normal pantry variety.  See, all sorts of fruit and whatnot!  It was dangerous territory, I'll tell ya, venturing into pinterest to find the right desserts.  I barely made it out with my sugar level intact.  I had actually convinced myself, at one point, that toffee wasn't a candy, and that maybe homemade caramels wouldn't count as cheating.  I tell you, my willful ignorance knows no bound.

In addition to the sweets I've now planned out, I took some time to menu plan for this coming week, too.  Actually, I made up my menu first, which included a plan for fried rice on Thursday.  Then I remembered that Thursday is Thanksday, and that I needed to get the desserts nailed down.  But either way.  I've got my menu.  Wanna see?

Baking and #instarecipes

I'm a mom-caller.  You know, one of those girls who calls her momma?  Sometimes, when I call my momma, and she doesn't answer, I leave her a message to the effect of, "MOM!  I need you!  I need you and you're not here!!"  She doesn't take me seriously.  I know this is going to come back to bite me, a la Peter & The Wolfe, but it's sort of a tradition now, and I don't think I'll stop.

ASIDE: Sometimes, when I call her, and she does answer, I sing to her.  Bohemian Rhapsody-style. "Mommmmaaaaaaaaa!  oooOOOooOOOOOO-oooh!"  She loves this, I'm sure of it.

This week, I called my momma, and she answered.  I didn't sing, but I did confess: I have a baking problem. She asked what my problem was, but that wasn't what I meant.  I meant, "My name is Mariah, and I have a baking problem."  On the day in question, I started out by making pancakes.

and if I had only stopped there, I would have been fine.  I mean really, they're ever generally healthy.  Look at that, Honey, some Whole Wheat Flour...  Greek yogurt even!  That's a decent breakfast.  But I didn't stop.  Nope.  I kept going.  Next on the list: Chewy Chocolate Molasses Cookies.  I wanted cookies like these, but couldn't find a recipe, so I adapted from here and here.  

Oatmeal Peanut Butter Muffins

Hey y'all.  How's your Wednesday?  You're halfway through the week, if that makes it better!  You're also only 7 weeks and 6 days away from Christmas, but I don't know if that helps any... I'm about to get my Christmas shopping in gear, but I keep forgetting.  Really, that reminder was more for me than for you.  Must.  Get.  Presents.

In other news...

If you're having a rough day, or a rough morning, or you're just tired of the same 'ole same 'ole breakfast 

(Mine's been generic rice crispies and a mug of tea.  Gourmet at it's finest!), perhaps I can interest you in these lovely little muffins!  I've been wanting some Peanut Butter & Oatmeal muffins for a while now, and I couldn't figure out a recipe.  So I finally perused a few recipes, took what I liked, and made these.  They're pretty good, if I do say so myself.  They're also not terrible for you, which is a bonus!

The recipe is up on Tasty Kitchen, so feel free to check it out!  Here's a few process shots, so that you'll know you're headed in the right direction!  I liked this warm and cold, although the hubs wasn't impressed with their moistness.  I had been aiming for a hearty, stick-to-your-ribs sort of muffin, so I was content.  Also, as far as flavor goes, you might want to add a bit more PB (like, 1/4 cup), since they smell more peanut butter-y than they taste.

Winner and Popped Corn

Hey folks!  How you doin'?  No, no, how you doin'?  Wanna know who is doing fine?  That would be one Crista Hankey, the winner of The Coin Laundry's Onesies and Twosies giveaway!  I happen to know personally that Miss Hankey currently has no children of her own to clothe in the adorableness that is The Coin Laundry Onesies, and when I saw she had won, I can't lie, I thought "Oh!  Maybe it's for me!".  HA. And then I remembered - Miss C Hank has got herself a niece (or nephew, I don't remember that part) coming into this world this Christmas!  And although I know I am quite dear to her, I have an inkling that the wee one who shares her name will likely be getting whatever onesie (or twosie!) she picks out!

I'm trying to not take it personally.

For those of you who didn't win, I wanted to share something life changing with you.  I discovered this a few months ago, actually, and although it changed my life, I failed to share it with you.  I know, it was hateful of me.  Please forgive me.  Here is my forgiveness offering:

via

Okay, now prepare yourself.  Your mind is about to blow.  Okay - here it is: You can pop your own bag of popcorn.  

Back At Home

Home.  Oh, I love a good home.  Even though there are many things I would love to change about our home (the popcorn ceilings, the overspray on the fireplace, the awkwardly shaped rooms...)I know that we have a pretty sweet situation here.  I am warm enough.  I am sheltered from wind and rain.  I get to watch birds flit around in the dogwoods at the front and back of the house.  I get to watch Duke go all Rambo-dog on the squierells that dare trespass on his lawn ("Stay off the grass!").  Our home is more than enough.

I love coming back home, most of all.  There's just something so quieting to my soul to be back in my regular spot, doing my regular things.  Traveling is great and all, and Phoenix was really really cool, but I love home best of all.

Since I was home and could, I baked yesterday.  Bread.  Like, the real stuff.  Sounds impressive, right?  Like maybe I should open up that bakery I talk about.  It's probably because of some great tips I know.  Like the fact that if your house is, say hypothetically, 66* because you refuse to turn on the heat, under-cabinet puck lights can really heat up a space for bread to rise.

It might be a fire hazard, but dang it, my bread rose!

Or that if you think you should take your rings off before kneading the dough, it's probably a good idea to do so before (1) you get unbelievably pregnant or (2) the under-cabinet puck lights heat the entire kitchen and your fingers respond accordingly...

Whoops.

And finally, a good recipe is everything.  Seriously, Mel, she's got it going on.  Kid tested, mom approved, the girl has never failed me yet.  Her bread recipe takes 2 hours, start to finish, but only about 15 minutes of active time.  AND IT'S DELICOUS.  As in, I may or may not have eaten an entire half-loaf yesterday.  Okay, 1/3 of a loaf... But try it yourself, and you'll understand!

Some Favorites For You

This Sunday is a lovely one.  I'm in Phoenix, and we've got a high of 85 brewing.  I've almost got a grip on this whole Pacific Standard Time thing, although I don't know that I'll ever fully master it.  There's going to be a kick-butt presentation given in approx 50 minutes (by me!) and then I'm planning on some delicious dinner at a yet-to-be-decided-on restaurant.

And so, in honor of all that fantastic-ness, here's some things I wanted to share with you:

My taco recipe.
Hardly seems right to talk about tacos made by a Northern gal whilst sitting in the land of Tex Mex,
but I'm bold like that.
Here's the link to the recipe (secret is in the carrots, I swear!)
Here's the link to the seasoning.
Oh, and my all-time favorite shells .
Really, its the whole package.

Our new couch!
This couch is an attempt to make our awkward front room slightly less awkward.
After Handsome & I got it in the house, we both sat on it in silence for a moment.
Then he turned to me.
Said, "It's still awkward."
It is.
(anthropologie: from a consignment store near us)

And now for my always favorites:

Perfectly Classic Hot Chocolate

I haven't had any cravings, really.  I mean, no more than normal.  I remember, my first year of grad school, I passed the time in some less-than-exciting classes by writing down the food I wanted to eat RightAtThatMoment.  It usually looked like this: Nachos... Soft Pretzel... BBQ Sandwich.... Milky Way... Doritos...  I didn't eat all of that.  At least, not all at once, but I loved making the lists.  I always want some  sort of delicious food, and it always seems urgent.  So pregnancy hasn't really brought out anything new in me.

However I do indulge my cravings a bit more, as is evidenced in this little recipe here.  I may or may not have made it every morning for the past week.  And I may or may not be drinking it for the second time today.  I'm also trying my darndest to get my fruits and vegetables, so it's gotta balance out somewhere.  Right?

So here's a how-to for making this drink-to-end-all-drinks.  Trust me.  Make it in the morning.  Share it with your kids.  Refuse to share it with your kids (much more likely).  Make it a Saturday morning tradition.  A Tuesday morning tradition.  A Monday evening tradition.  Basically, do whatever you want, as long as you make this delicious drink and enjoy it thoroughly.

Step 1.  Chop up 4 dove chocolates.  Put 'em in a mug.

Food Food Food

I'm hungry.

SURPRISE!

Ha ha... yeah, no, seriously, I'm hungry.  There's a baked potato in the oven, just waiting to be topped with broccoli and cheese for lunch.  I'm pretty pumped about it.  But the 32 minutes left on the timer are just a little too much for me to handle.  If I leave in the middle of this post, it'll be to grab a bowl of cinnamon toast crunch something healthy.  Yeah.

How cute is this??
From this awesome Etsy seller

Anyhow, pictures of food always make an hungry situation both better and worse, and so that's where I went.  I've just found out that my 10-day test starts tonight at 5PM, so I thought a little advance menu planning would be helpful.  I'm also supposed to be studying for a quiz, so any form of procrastination is welcome.

Handsome wants me to be cooking both cheaply and healthily.  In a household where beans are only welcome in the chili some of the time, this is a bit of a challenge.  But we're trying.  Here is my imaginary menu for the following week, in case you were dying to know!  And I'm still keeping my menu on a pinterest board I named "This Week's Meals".  If you use mostly online recipes, this is a great way to keep them all in one place!  [Super-cool Keri gave me the idea... I think.  Either way, she's super cool.]

Pittsburgh Grilled Chicken Salad & Not Apples

Today, we're trying a little interactive blog reading.  Ready?  Your part is in the asterisks.  You know, these things ***

Me: Knock knock.

*You: Who's there?

Me: Orange

*You: "Orange" who?

Me: Orange you glad today's post isn't about apples?

Ha ha ha... good job, guys.  That joke gets me every time.

You're going to need a big bowl for this.
And you're not sharing.

Nope, no apples today [I'm eating one right now, but that doesn't count].  Today is all about one of my favorite meals.  Growing up, with as many brothers and sisters as I had, birthdays were very important, as it was the day that each kid got to feel super important.  And on a kid's birthday, the prince (or princess) always got to pick their birthday dinner.  This was my choice my last birthday at home: Pittsburgh Grilled Chicken Salad.  Doesn't it look heavenly?

Now, this isn't really a recipe, as much as it is a series of steps.  Not pictured, Step 00 is to marinate chicken in Italian Dressing (I like Northern or Zesty, but that's just me).  And Step 0 is to grill said chicken, as well as bake some french fries (I like Ore Ida Fast Food variety).  You can fry them if you wish, and if you're lucky enough to be allowed to own a fryer.  If only. *sigh*

On My Mind

This might seem a bit repetitive to you all, especially with the the picture (of that lovely, gorgeous specimen of the best apple variety to every grace this planet), but I can't help it.  Apples might just be my favorite part of fall.  No lie, I've bought 4 lbs before and eaten them all, with Handsome's help, in a week.  Because we're champs like that.

I swear, though, it's not just apples.  Nope.  Here's a little picture of what I've been thinking about, to see if you're not blind you can guess...

I'm so excited to make CARAMEL apples!  When I had flown into SLC a few weeks ago, there was a Rocky Mountain Candy Factory stand in the airport.  It seemed angels might just be singing.  I love love love (and don't even hesitate) to spend some of my hard-earned per diem on a caramel apple for lunch.  It's fresh, it's sweet, it makes me smile just thinking about it... in a word, D-lish.  And then I remembered.  I was doing #7.  Which for me meant no candy.  And while I wasn't sure if chocolate was actually a candy (don't judge, I worked it out), I knew that caramel was most definitely a candy.  Which meant that caramel apples were most definitely not in my future.  I'd have to waste my per diem on something else.  (For the record, I also tried to snag an AA's Hot Pretzel, but they were out.  Most disappointing airport food experience ever.)

Last year, for Handsome's birthday bash/Halloween party, we served, among other things, some caramel apple fondue.  Oh. My. Lawd.  It was heaven.  You slice up a pretty little apple, dunk it in some sprite then dry it off (for anti-browning purposes), and stick it on a skewer.  Then you make caramel, pour it in a crock pot, and keep it on low/warm.  Dip and much to your heart's content.  So good.  Problem is, I cant' remember the recipe we used.  So I started looking.  And then I started finding.  And now I have a slight obsession and want to try all the recipes I found.

In case you have the same problem obsession love, I've gathered the caramel apple recipes here for you, too!  Really, the recipes are just for the caramel parts, as God makes the apples.  But whatevs.  Oh, and I've taken the liberty of re-naming them.  Because I can.

Southern Sweetness

Some things are universal.  There are universal truths, commonly understood facial expressions, and even global understandings.

And then there are other things.

Things that can only happen in the south.

I present, for your viewing pleasure, the first of two Southern Experiences for you today.

(1) As if the door latch was not enough, of course the man driving the truck is wearing camouflage.  Because that's what we do here.  I'm guessing he's either got (a) a glass of sweet tea in his cup holder, or (b) a hushpuppy rolling around on the passenger side.

Bird Cake/Bird Brain

Hey kids.  

Baking in progress

How you doing?

Nah, How Yoo Doin??

I hope you're doing well.  I'm pretty sure I'm doing well, but I'm in the middle of a sugar coma right now, and there's not much that I'm certain of at this point.  Example: I spelled "of" wrong, three different ways. You might not think it possible, but I found a way.  It's my own fault.  Since breaking the sweets fast at 1AM on Easter Sunday with a slice (or two) of Grapefruit Cheesecake, I've had

• 2 more slices of cheesecake
• 1 doughnut
• 2 1/2 cinnamon rolls
• 1 jelly bean
• 2 York Peppermint patties
• 1 heaping helping of chocolate cake
• thin mint icecream
• 2 chocolate bars
• 8 left-in-the-freezer-for-a-month chewy chocolate meringues

And that was just  yesterday.  I'm eating carrots right now, trying to find some sort of balance.  It's not working.  

Today, I bring you the Bird Cake (adapted from blissfully domestic), of which I've had a few nibbles, on top of my morning cinnamon roll and smoothie.  

I'm going to try and do a food-bloggy thing, where you get some pictures, and a nice recipe to follow at the bottom.   I don't know if it will work, I'm not really sure of what I'm doing.  But by golly, it's Cake Week, and I'm going to give it my best shot!

The Players:

Laying everything out, measured and ready, is called Mis en Place.
The pro's do it, because they're cool like that.
I do it so I only have to think at the beginning of the recipe.

Cake Week Voting Day 6 - The Finalists WINNER

**************

The Winning Cake: Rainbow Cake

submitted by: Hannah

***

Winning Voter from Day 6: 

 

Congrats JB!  You've put in good work all week, and it finally paid off!

(psst... send me your address so we can get the awesome prize pack from Delicate Fortress Creations sent to you!)

**************

And that, ladies & gents, is how the voting ends.  Next week, I'll be baking and baking,  giving away some more of these super cute towels from  Sharon from b.Haven 

On Sunday, I'll be making a cake of my choosing, which I'll tell you all about as soon as I decide on it!  Then the rest of the week is as follows:

Cake Week Voting Day 6: The Finalists

Now, there's no actual "finalists" as there is no narrowing down of your choices.  All the previous cakes that you've chosen will be made during the following week.  But, I thought it added a little sumthin'sumthin to the whole todo.

Our Sponsor today needs very little introduction.  I'll give you an exerpt from their blog, as I think it says a lot about who they are and what they're all about:

We believe women shouldn’t be forced to relinquish or sell their children or themselves in order to allow for their survival.  

We believe in culturally appropriate opportunity, investment and advocacy.

We bet you do too.

So we bring you shopping with purpose.  Each item you find in our store provides dignity, livelihood and fair wages to female artisans all over the world.  We’re fighting for women and their children.  Come fight with us.

Uh, chya!  Isn't that just an awesome mission statement?   It makes you feel like, by buying from their store, you're engaging in a battle!  I love to engage in battle!  Especially on behalf of those who need some extra help.  So today, from Delicate Fortress Creations, we bring you the following prize pack:

It's a food-themed gift pack, just for us!
Citrus Zest & Cucumber Melon handmade soaps from Pure Eden, a Chicago IL group helping women in situations of domestic violence, addictive tendencies, and poverty.
Lip Smoothie lipbalm created by the artisans of Thistle Farms, fighting human trafficking, exploitation, and helping women with addictions in Nashville, TN
White Chocolate Soy Candle from the ladies of Pure Eden
Simple Jute Shopping Tote created by the artisans at Freeset, fighting human trafficking in India.

Better view of the shopping Tote
(flower not included, but I could make you one if you want!)

Now you want to win bad, don't you?  And not just for you!  No, you want to win in support of ladies everywhere.  Well, here's how you can do that, and spread the word about Delicate Fortress Creations!

• Leave a comment telling me which of our Finalists you're voting for - One Vote
• Check out Delicate Fortress's Shop, and tell me your favorite item - One Vote
• Pin your favorite item from Delicate Fortress's Shop, and tell me you did so - One Vote
• "Like" Delicate Fortress on Facebook or Twitter and leave a comment here telling me you did so - One Vote (each)
• Check out Delicate Fortress's Blog, and leave a comment there, then leave a comment here telling me you left a comment there... :)  One Vote
• Share this giveaway on Facebook or Twitter (#CakeWeek2012) and leave a comment telling me you did so - One Vote

And now, for the last time in the public eye, our Finalists!

Cake Week Voting Day 5: The Indulgences

I'm going to be honest here.  I'm a *wee* bit tired of writing the same type of post every day.  I'm a *wee* bit tired of focusing on nothing but pictures of cakes I'm not eating.  I'm a *wee* bit tired of trying to convince people that voting is cool and everybody's doing it.  Just a *wee* bit.

But pushing through when fatigue starts to set in, that's where character is forged.  That's what separates the mice from the men and the men from the boys.  And I'm all about that.

I'm giving myself a reward today.  If I can't eat the cakes, at least I can look at some pieces of the most indulgent cakes EVA.  They're so rich, so "heavy", so ... indulgent, that you would tell me "Oh, trust me, just take a small piece, it's a lot of cake" and then I'd simultaneously disgust and impress you as I proceeded to eat 1/3 of the entire cake in one sitting.  Have no doubt about it, I'm a champ.

I'm also in love with celebrating things.  I hold to a firm belief that everyone should have a birthday cake.  Or a birthday pot roast, depending on your persuasion.  But a birthday treat, and often cake. I'll make a cake pretty much for any occasion, because cakes make things feel special.  

Our sponsor today believes in making the everyday special, too!  Be it a picnic at the park, a barbeque with friends, or even just a packed lunch, our sponsor Garnish believes that it's the little touches that make each moment shine!

In honor of today's decadent indulgences, Garnish is providing one lucky reader with a $25-dolla gift certificate to their store!  I was going to pick the prize for you, but then I realized that it's all in what you want to celebrate!  Do you need some sweet straws for your party drinks?   Garnish has got that!

Do you have a new neighbor that just moved in, or a friend who could use a surprise?   Garnish has everything you need to leave them a basket of goodies, with no clean-up or give-me-back-my-casserole-dish-argument required!

Would you like to buy one of everything?  You can do that too, since Garnish sells their items in individual increments, so you don't get stuck buying 1600 8-inch skewers when you only needed 125.  Hypothetically, of course, don't look at the box on top of my refrigerator.  Personally, I think I'd get some big 'ole gable boxes, and other containers to hand out some of this cake I'm going to be making next week.  Not all of it, but some.

Here's how you can be entered to win, and heaven knows, you want to win this!

• Leave a comment telling me which cake you're voting for.  Leave your name too, just for kicks.  One Vote
• Visit Garnish's website, and come back and tell me what you're going to use your gift card on!  One Vote
• "Like" Garnish on Facebook, then leave a comment here telling me you did it.  One Vote
• "Follow" Garnish on Twitter, then leave a comment here telling me you did it.  One Vote
• "Follow" Garnish on Pinterest, and/or pin one of their items, then leave a comment here telling me you did it.  One Vote Each.
• Share this giveaway on twitter (#CakeWeek2012) or facebook, and link back to this site.  Leave a comment telling me you did it.  One Vote

Can't you just see yourself giving someone a nice slice of cake in one of their boxes, with a little bit of twine tied 'round?  And speaking of cake...

Cake Week Voting Day 4: The Cakes formerly known as Cupcakes

Hehe... you get it?  You know, like

The artist formerly known as Prince?  Except I think he's back to being Prince now.  Someone tell me, this question will stay with me all day!

Makes me chuckle sometimes, these early morning jokes I have with myself...

But now for serious stuff, today is day four of...  *doo-doo-dah-doooo!*

And yes, our Cake contestants are all formerly known as Cupcakes. But we've also got some great sponsors, formerly known as... well, as great sponsors!  Let's hear what our readers can win, Johnny!

First up, we've got an artist formerly known as my creative sister, CraftyMaiden13!  

Specializing in mixed media and home decor, Crafty Maiden has got it going on over at her shop!  The things she does with crayons, I swear, it's like magic.  Her current favorite medium is BUTTONS, and in honor of that love, she is gifting us with this absolutely adorable Tea Tray!

Our second sponsor is the generous Jen from The Coin Laundry!

Gen Jen, as I like to call her just made up now, specializes in hand-done silk screened baby clothes and housewares.  Her inks & solvents are earth friendly, so you can love all of these awesome products with a clear conscious!  She is offering up today, for one lucky reader, this great kitchen-themed Tea Towel!

Jen also wanted me to tell you "You're Welcome" for getting that song stuck in your head.  So, You're Welcome.

To be the lucky winner of these two prizes (yes, that's right, you win BOTH of them!), you've got to enter.  And here's how you enter today:

• Leave a comment here telling me your favorite cake from today's contestants.  Your name would also be helpful. - One Vote
• Like The Crafty Maiden and The Coin Laundry on Facebook through their shops.  Leave a comment telling me you did so - One Vote Each
• Pin your favorite item from  The Coin Laundry and  The Crafty Maiden.  Leave a comment telling me you did so, and what it was - One Vote Each
• Facebook/Tweet about this giveaway, using #CakeWeek2012 and linking back to this post - Leave a comment telling me you did so, and I'll give you Two Votes

Now, I know what you're thinking.  "That's a lot of votes!"  And you're right.  But I'm a giver like that.  Plus, with these delicious looking cakes formerly known as cupcakes awaiting you just below, you're going to need all the votes you can get.  Feel free to split votes between different contenders, if you just can't decide!

And now, for your voting pleasure, the Cakes-formerly-known-as-CupCakes